Prime Minister Modi to Depart for Russia Today to Attend BRICS Summit

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart for Russia today to participate in the 16th BRICS Summit. During his visit, he will also hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the BRICS group and other invited guests. Prime Minister Modi is visiting Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. This will be his second visit to Russia this year.

The BRICS summit will be held in Kazan, Russia, on October 22-23. This is the first summit since the expansion of the organization. BRICS is an important group that brings together the world's major emerging economies. Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the UAE have joined the organization this year. The Russian ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, stated that his country is eager to welcome Prime Minister Modi along with 40 other leaders at the BRICS summit. Alipov mentioned that there are expectations of new members joining BRICS, which will strengthen the organization as a significant platform for advancing the interests of the Global South.

It is noteworthy that Russia currently holds the presidency of BRICS. The organization began with four countries—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—coming together as BRIC. South Africa joined in 2010, after which it was renamed BRICS. Last year, the organization expanded further. Alipov stated that a large number of countries have shown interest in joining.

During this visit, President Vladimir Putin may discuss promoting Indian films with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such indications were given by President Putin during a global press conference in Moscow last week. Notably, various Bollywood films, from Raj Kapoor's Awara and Mithun Chakraborty's Disco Dancer to Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, are very popular among the Russian audience. Putin mentioned in a conversation with a group of foreign journalists that he believes Indian films are more popular in Russia than anywhere else. He noted that there is a special TV channel in Russia that always shows Indian films. He also pointed out that the marketing of Indian films in Russia is an issue that needs discussion. In this context, he mentioned the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and the automotive industry. Putin stated that cinema products and the film industry are part of the economy and should be regulated appropriately.